Ms. Witch


Well, it didn’t take long for a nickname to come my way.  One little boy claimed he heard another say it.  I said to the class “It’s going to be a long 8 weeks if that’s what you think of me.” One boy’s eyes widened, “No, we do not feel that way at all!”  Phew.

No luck on the phone front, I’ll get a replacement this weekend. 

I took a walk to the library tonight in some unpleasant weather: 12 degrees, blustery wind, snow clinging to my eyelashes, to print out a train ticket – Whitefish here I come.  New phone, old friends; it will be a great weekend.

My university supervisor stopped by today and introduced herself and soon we will plan my observations and  paperwork extravaganza.

Throughout the week, I have been fortunate in that other teachers have invited me into their classrooms to see various programs at work.  I observed Roots, Wings, CMC (Connecting Math Concepts), Reading Mastery, Language for Writing, and Language for Thinking, to name a few.  Even in the second and third grades, most students struggle with reading.  The dedication and perseverance present from both the teachers and the students is inspiring.  The students want to see each other succeed and often times help if a peer is stuck by offering a decoding strategy.  When students finish reading sentences and paragraphs fluently, they are proud and eager to read to you.  

Instilling a sense of pride is crucial at this young age.  One student frequently talks in the halls no matter how many times we remind him not too.  One day I said to him, “Dude, you’re in the front of the line.  Show us how it’s done.”  Yes, I think I called him “Dude” but more importantly, he stopped talking, faced forward and walked down the hall, proudly leading his class.  When we reached our destination, I thanked him.  He looked away but I caught a smile.  He’s the Ms. Witch kid.  I predict many memorable moments from this boy, as he is lively, spirited, and extremely vocal!!!

Looking forward to wrapping up Week 1 tomorrow save the commute.  As it nears time to rest my eyes, I caught a glimpse of the night sky.  It has that rose tint to it which only means one thing – winter storm.  The forecast is calling for about a foot of snow overnight.  Would I cancel school tomorrow?  Of course!  Everyone loves a snow day, right?

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